Key Highlights

• India won the toss and asked SA to bat first
• Rossouw scored his maiden T20I century and it’s his highest individual T20I score
• SA scored 227-3 in 20 overs; it’s their second highest T20I total vs India
• SA’s batters hit 16 sixes in today’s match
• Rabada has now dismissed Rohit Sharma 11 times, the highest in all international formats
• Lungi Ngidi registered his 50^th T20I wicket (in 624 balls) and is the third fastest to do so
• India scored 178-10 in 18.3 overs.
• India won the T20I series by 2-1

The 3^rd and last match of Ind versus SA T20I series was played at Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore. The weather was calm and pleasing and the pitch favoured the batters more than the bowlers. Having won the toss, Rohit Sharma decided to bat first, and that’s the only thing that favoured the Men in Blue tonight. SA was under pressure since they feared being defeated tonight in India for the first time without registering a win. However, neither the Indian bowlers nor the batters could contribute much to whitewash SA in today’s match.

De Kock and Bavuma began from SA. Bavuma attempted to contribute to his team’s total throughout this game but was unable and gave Umesh Yadav his wicket. After the Powerplay, the scoreboard for SA showed 48-1. Quinton de Kock and Rossouw kept the scoreboard moving with boundaries and singles despite the Indian bowling attack tonight. With an SR of 158.14 and 68 out of 43 balls scored, Quinton de Kock was run out by Shreyas Iyer’s throw. As he continued to strike fours and sixes, Rilee Rossouw produced a superb knock of 100 runs, his highest individual T20I total. His first century in a T20I game.

Chahar’s dismissal of Stubb at a score of 23 ended the threatening partnership between Rossouw and Stubbs (18). Post the dismissal, Miller entered the crease and blasted three consecutive sixes to Chahar to give India a target of 228.

In response to the SA’s power-hitting innings, the Men in Blue looked unstable right from the beginning. Rohit was sent back to the pavilion at a score of 0 by Rabada on his second delivery of the first over. Shreyas looked confident today but was given LBW out in the next over of Parnell at a score of 1 run. He hopped back and missed the clip on the leg-side, making India lose its review as well.

After that, Dinesh Karthik came on No.4 tonight and it was a bit perplexing for the audience to see him batting at this position as they were expecting the SKY-show. Dinesh and Pant tried to build a promising partnership for the team and were punishing the SA’s bowlers with fours and sixes. But, Lungi Ngidi broke this emerging partnership by dismissing Pant (27 runs of 14 balls) on the last ball of his over. Pant swatted 20 runs in Ngidi’s over but it was Ngidi who tasted the victory in this small battle.

Post this dismissal, none of the batters from the Indian side, including Suryakumar Yadav and DK could stand the fine bowling attack of SA. DK (46 of 21 balls) was clean bowled while hitting a reverse swipe to Maharaj on the last ball of the 7^th over. SKY was sent to the Indian dressing room in the next over at a meagre score of 8 by Pretorius while hitting a wider ball to the deep extra cover. Stubbs judged the ball quite well and put a forward dive to dismiss the star player of India.

Harshal Patel and Axar Patel tried to keep the scoreboard moving with singles, doubles, and boundaries but Harshal couldn’t stop himself from hitting hard on the loose deliveries by the South African bowlers. In an attempt to hit a six in the Ngidi’s slower off-cutter, Harshal gave his wicket to the guest. Miller ended Harshal’s inning (17 of 12 balls) with a brilliant catch at long-off.

Axar was dismissed by Parnell and the tail-enders could not add many runs to the scoreboard. Deepak Chahar played a crucial inning for the team India and helped his team to reach a respectable score of 178. It was a clinical performance from South Africa to avoid the whitewash.

The series gave many learning lessons to India and South Africa before the commencement of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022. India needs to work on its bowling and fielding department while South Africa has to do a lot of homework in every department, especially building an opening partnership. Let’s hope for a better performance from both sides in the T20 World Cup.

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